It ain't hard to find a little trouble

COLT

I wish words were like little toy guns
No sting, no hurting no one
Just a bang, bang rolling off your tongue

The festival of lights has begun to wind down around her, the event naturally petering out after the lantern is selected by Ludo. Colt waits on the outskirts, having departed the heart of it all to settle on the route back to the skyship. It's just dark enough to obscure her from most who don't bother to notice, though by no means is she as adept as those of the grey road at getting lost. The picture of casual patience, she's leaned up against a tree, the rough press of the bark between her shoulders propping up her deep lean. Her hands are hanging loose in the rim of her front pockets, dangling just by the thumbs, elbows angled out easy from her sides.

She waits like this, grazing over the people passing through with a mild eye, until one particular couple starts to head past. They come later than most, as she expects, given it'd been one of them who's lantern won. Harper surely had others to see besides Soh, or people interested enough to speak to the soul, but Soh's request would've been the first one answered to be sure. How long they'd linger would depend on the connection between the living woman and the dead man, to which Colt had no guess to even give.

It's enough to make her reconsider staying here at all, and she almost leaves on two separate occasions. With all the ways King's End honors their dead, Colt doesn't take it lightly to intrude. Still, she'd rather be out with this now, the travel time between regions nothing to laugh at, least of all for her disagreement with most skyship bouts.

"Zavien," she calls as she steps forward, just enough to kick off the tree and draw attention with motion. There's little threat to her posture, aside from maybe the peculiar quality of having clearly been waiting, but unless they fear her voice, there's little else she's brandishing for the moment. "Sohalia," she says with a more clipped tone, though her gaze remains set on him, because he's the one she's focused on addressing for now. "Have a moment to talk plans?" She keeps it light, as if there's nothing potentially wedged between him, keen to let him be the first to reveal the fracture she's betting he'll willingly make.

No smoke, no bullets
No kick from the trigger when you pull it
No pain, no damage done

Zavien

Zavien did what he could to bide the time, wandering somewhat aimlessly through the festival to give Soh time and space with Harper. He checked in quietly with a few friends, found some savory snacks for Sol who had been hovering nearby, and gathered a pair of hot spiced cider for him and Soh. By the time she was done, his own drink was nearly gone, but so were the complex cyclone of emotions in his chest. It left him feeling drained, limbs heavy with an exhaustion that called for peace and quiet. 

He offered her a tired, gentle smile, letting the silence of his expression say more than any words could as he took her hand in his. Squeezing it once, he led them towards the village and its skyport with plans to find refuge from the heaviness of the night. 

They'd only made it a few feet when his name rang out of the dark shadows. He'd taken note of the figure but not who it was, and an uneasy tension coiled up his spine as he recognized Colt stepping into their path. Although he didn't glance at Soh, he could guess at her expression, could feel the slight uptick of her heartrate beating against his chest as the rancher gave her a cold acknowledgement. A fresh wave of protectiveness rose in response, the edges of his green eyes pinching ever so slightly at the dismissal. But he paused, stopping them to face her fully.

After the dramatic strain of the evening, the sharpness of his rage was dulled, the squaring of his shoulders more rounded under the weight of it all as he gave a noncommittal shrug, his voice flat without its usual friendliness. "Sure, but that's kind of hard to do when you made it clear my girlfriend is a liar who isn't welcome there."

In case she didn't get the message, Zavien raised an unimpressed brow, a flash of anger shining through like sunlight dappling a patch of grass through the clouds. "A dagger, Colt? Really?" It was petty and rude, and although he understood getting her feelings hurt, he didn't appreciate the undertone of a letter sent with a weapon attached to it.

It's a beautiful day.
Don't let it get away.

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to say goodbye

The emotions of the night had been more intense even than Sohalia had been anticipating, and as she rejoined Zavien, linking her fingers with his, she let out a soft sigh of relief. It was time to go home, time to recenter themselves and prepare for the long season of Deepfrost that lay ahead. Her free hand ghosted over her abdomen briefly, a soft smile settling on her face as she thought of what all would be changing throughout the coming seasons.

The sound of Zavien's name in the darkness had Soh's hackles rising. She knew that voice, and had hoped to avoid it for the foreseeable future. Heartbeat jumping in her chest, she did her best to school her expression into neutrality as Colt stepped from the shadows. The rancher greeted her, if her clipped tone and obvious snub could be called a greeting, and Soh did her best to keep the sudden rush of anger from her face. She wasn't even entirely sure what she'd done to deserve Colt's wrath, hadn't been privy to the specifics of the conversation between Colt and Flora that seemed to have led to this animosity. "Colt," she said, and was proud when her tone was steady, if a little cool.

But Colt wasn't here to talk to her, and Soh kept her mouth shut as Zavien challenged the rancher, a burst of sudden love for him filling her chest at his defense of her. For her part, she remained silent, watchful, her gaze fixed on Colt as she awaited whatever venom she was sure would come from the woman. After all, one didn't send a dagger as a message unless one was well and truly angry, and even if Soh didn't yet fully understand where it had come from, she was willing to bet that they were going to find out.

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to die

Sohalia

COLT

I wish words were like little toy guns
No sting, no hurting no one
Just a bang, bang rolling off your tongue

Girlfriend lands like a stone in a pond that's already thoroughly been disturbed. It at least clarifies all her wondering into one, sharp splash, and she's as grateful as anyone can be to have a rock thrown their way. The tension in his voice isn't unexpected, taut as any good bowstring, but she's less sure whether he means to nock any arrows in it yet.

At the mention of the dagger, Colt's mouth splits into a grin, barely holding back a chuckle. It's all a show of casual conversation and not the bitter sting of betrayal, so far at least. It doesn't last long. "I was just being hospitable and returning what she'd clearly lost. I imagine she ran out of time to take it back herself after lodging it in my back." Colt's hands fan out at her sides, making a show of her goodwill like it's plain. Her gaze flicks briefly towards Soh, smile tightening at the sight.

"Sorry, did you not think I'd know it was your hand that set it there, since you took aim through Flora?" Colt's brows lift with mock surprise as she regards Soh, smile slackening a bit, as if the disappointment can't quite keep pretending to keep its disguise much longer. "You could have just told me you didn't want to be there anymore, you didn't need to use the Queen of Torchline as your mouthpiece." She snorts, unimpressed.

No smoke, no bullets
No kick from the trigger when you pull it
No pain, no damage done

Zavien

Her laughter was cold and empty, devoid of any real humor as she continued to direct her frustrations inexplicably at Soh, claiming a malevolence and betrayal that Zavien knew would never come from her. The accusation in her eyes and the snorting dismissal were all being thrown at the woman he loves, seeking to wound with a precision that only came from someone else who'd felt that pain. 

Regardless, grief dispersed from his mind, a chilly and protective anger forming in the set of his features, a stillness that didn't match his usual warmth and energy. He stepped barely into Soh's path, just enough that he might draw the wrath, to guard her from the damage Colt intended to inflict with her words. "Point your anger and daggers somewhere else." The words were firm, a line he drew that she was dangerously close to crossing. 

"I don't know what Flora said, but consulting a friend on a big decision isn't a betrayal - in fact, Soh would be crazy not to." He couldn't speak on what the Queen of Torchline had told Colt - gods knew he hadn't agreed with a lot of her opinions recently - but he knew Soh, and he knew where her heart had been, even after the disagreement. Narrowing his eyes, Zavien pointed out, "She hadn't officially 'decided' anything. You took that choice from her." The weight of his gaze was heavy, full of his own disappointment for having believed the rancher was better than this. 

Realizing that he was doing the same thing as Flora - talking for her - he turned his eyes to his girlfriend. There was an unspoken apology there, for giving in to his instinct without letting her fight her own battles, jumping to her defense when she may not want it. He squeezed her hand genlty, fierce encouragement in his eyes for her to take the lead if she felt inclined to do so. He'd said his piece, and he'd be here if Colt got further out of line.

It's a beautiful day.
Don't let it get away.

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to say goodbye

Colt's chuckle hurt, and Soh had to work not to flinch away from the sound. Had it really been so easy to believe the worst of her? Was this really what their friendship had amounted to, in the end? One disagreement - that Soh hadn't even been a part of - and everything just crumbled to ash?

A small part of her longed to shrink behind Zavien, to allow him to protect her from Colt's seemingly misplaced wrath. But her pride - and her confusion about what, exactly, she had done that was so wrong - rebelled against the thought. When Zavien shifted subtly in front of her, Soh deftly stepped aside, ensuring that she was still in full view with her head held high. Whatever had happened between Flora and Colt, Soh was certain that there had to be some misunderstanding about her part in it. This had never been her intention.

When Colt finally deigned to address her directly, Soh opened her mouth to reply - though she wasn't sure what she was going to say - when Zavien jumped in to defend her. Seeming to realize that he was talking for her, her boyfriend shot an apologetic glance her way before standing down. She hoped that the affectionate look she gave him, and the gentle brush of her thumb along his knuckles, would reassure him that she understood the instinct to jump in.

But she wasn't going to cower, and she wasn't going to let someone else speak for her. Not this time. "I don't know what happened at Flora's birthday party," she said, her voice flat. "But I don't know where all this talk of betrayal is coming from. I talked to Flora about your offer, but when we spoke, I hadn't decided either way, not for sure. I certainly wouldn't have sent her to deliver my answer." Not on purpose, anyway. "So before hurling accusations at me, perhaps we could have a discussion about what you think happened to cast me in such a poor light?"

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to die

Sohalia

COLT

I wish words were like little toy guns
No sting, no hurting no one
Just a bang, bang rolling off your tongue

The physical way Zavien sets himself before Soh as if she is in need of a shield takes Colt aback. She draws in a sharp breath, holding it in her chest like it's the last clean one she'll get for a while. The sting of it all is still on the back of her tongue, sitting like the burn of strong liquor that comes out even on the exhale. She lets that breath go now, and the blaze fills her mouth anew as it sighs from the corner of her mouth, still tight with disagreement. She had not come here to draw more bad blood, much as it might seem the contrary. Colt doesn't go out of her way to pick fights, goats wearing tags notwithstanding. She stands her ground, and sometimes that seems to be enough.

Unsure when the gods granted her tongue as much a sharp edge as her arrows, though they must have to warrant such defensive posturing as is laid out before her. "Sorry," she offers in turn, "habit when dealing with a snake." Nonetheless lowers the remaining string of words that rise behind the angle of her teeth and swallows them down, offering another attempt at a smile instead, even going so far as to try and school ehr face back into something neutral.

Her hands hook back in her pockets, trying to appear as unarmed as she is for this talk, though her fingers curl into her denim with the residual tension of being played. Especially as this is quickly turning into a he said she said, which flexes Colt's jaw where she bears down on the retort that rises for Zavien.

Thankfully Soh doesn't let herself cower behind him, and Colt's attention at once slides back to the Luminary as she steps into view with a lifted chin. Guts at least Colt can tolerate better than anything worm-like as the wriggling behind a boyfriend.

Ignoring Zavien for the time being, despite him being the one she actually came to speak to, the potential to get to the bottom of this can only come from the woman herself. Whatever Zavien has to say is surely just regurgitated food Soh mommabirded to him, and that doesn't interest her in the least.

Unsurprisingly, Soh paints herself in a better light, but there's enough of a flare of uncertainty in Colt's chest that she hesitates, just a touch. She had known, in hindsight, that she'd moved quicker than she should have, reacting instead of thinking. She doesn't normally like to judge without knowing both sides, and even then, she tends to lean towards loyalty. Problem is, she'd thought all of them had been loyal to each other, but it'd been no real surprise to find herself on the odd end out when the two of them had such history. It's a reminder that she likely isn't going to get the full picture even now, each of them protecting the other to some degree. "Hm," Colt drags the word with her tongue on the roof of her mouth. "Any other reason then why Flora told me you definitely didn't want to go to the desert?" Colt raises an expectant brow, one hip cocking to the side as her weight shifts. Someone's lying to someone here.

"I'd love to talk," she agrees too brightly. "I've been wanting to hear your side of the story, because much as I've wracked my brain, I can't think what the fuck I did to deserve this when I thought we were friends." All the shine she put into her last remark has dulled into something flat and brittle. She exhales with a huff, waving away with her breath any potential that she's still hurt by this changeup. "So, since we're talking, tell me. Did you tell Flora I was poaching you?"

No smoke, no bullets
No kick from the trigger when you pull it
No pain, no damage done

Zavien

He bristled at the snide comment, finding it harder to keep his cool when Colt kept slinging around words like 'snake' and 'liar.' His eyes narrowed in warning, but she didn't say anything else, seeming to pull back enough to let him glimpse the defensive posturing and the wavering of her attempted smile. She wasn't a threat and she didn't intend to be - at least not right now - so Zavien settled for having said his part, willing to shift into support rather than defender.

Taking Soh's expression as forgiveness for his impulsivity, he moved out of her way to give her the lead. She didn't need him to talk for her when she was clearly capable of doing so on her own. His eyes remained primarily on Colt, watching her stance adjust to the revealed perspective; but when his green gaze flit momentarily to Soh, he couldn't help the flutter he felt to see her stand tall and unwavering. 

Zavien kept his mouth shut, only slightly irked that Colt had completely dismissed him. They had things to work through, and him butting in wasn't going to have a positive effect here. Still, he had to hide his clear annoyance to hear Flora's claim of 'poaching', controlling the urge to argue and settling for an irritated glance at the emptying forest around them, his jaw feathering where he bit back his dwindling opinion on the Queen of Torchline right now.

It's a beautiful day.
Don't let it get away.

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to say goodbye

The continued attack twisted in Soh's chest like the knife that Colt claimed to have been lodged in her own back, and the Luminary had to wonder if this was what the rancher had felt like, when whatever had transpired between she and Flora had taken place. If so, Soh regretted whatever part she'd played in it. She'd thought they were all friends, and yet... here they were, wounding one another, passing the dagger back and forth to slip between ribs over and over again.

Swallowing hard, Soh nonetheless stood tall, not bothering to argue with the accusation until she had more information - which came quickly in the form of a question that had Soh frowning. Since she hadn't heard the exchange between Flora and Colt, this was the first she was hearing of her best friend speaking on her behalf, and although she loved Flora dearly, she wished that she'd had the opportunity to speak with Colt first. "I spoke with Flora," she said slowly. "She's my best friend, and I wanted other opinions before I jumped into anything - especially something in Hak Etme, which would be... challenging to live in." As Colt well knew.

So far, as she ran the conversation back over in her mind, she wasn't seeing anything she'd done wrong. "We agreed that Hak Etme was a surprising choice, given that everything there is trying to kill you, but when I mentioned you'd offered a council position, she was surprised. We talked about it. I told her that I didn't think I wanted to move to Hak Etme." A conversation that she'd thought would remain between she and Flora, but perhaps she'd misunderstood. "I thought I would have time to talk to you about it, but then..." Then the party, and the dagger, and the hurt.

Colt's too-bright tone was blinding in its insincerity, and Soh gritted her teeth together as she tried to find a way out of this conversation. There was only so far diplomacy would get her in this, she felt sure, and she was growing more upset the longer the discussion went on. But then her attention caught on one word: poaching. She frowned, her brow creasing in confusion as she wracked her brain, going back over her conversation with Flora. Had she said something like that? She couldn't quite -

You should probably know that Colt's trying to poach me from Torchline. Her own voice rang in her ears as memory of a flippant line that had never been meant to wound returned. That was what this was about? Soh didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the absurdity of it all. In her conversation with Flora, she hadn't realized how she'd come across - in Soh's mind, right or wrong, she'd thought nothing of the comment beyond starting the conversation. But maybe... maybe Flora, and by extension Colt, had taken it differently.

"I..." she started, suddenly at a loss for words. Her hand in Zavien's tightened, her grip on him suddenly clammy. What was he going to think of her now? But she couldn't lie, couldn't avoid facing this head on.

"... yes, but I didn't mean - is that was this is about?" Befuddled, Soh ran through her memories once more, searching for any sign that Flora had been upset about that and not by everything they'd said after. She could only recall Flora being hurt that she'd consider leaving. They hadn't talked about Colt at all that she could remember. But clearly she'd messed up, and there was regret on her face in an instant. What had been meant as a simple remark between friends seemed to have snowballed into something bigger than she'd ever meant it. "If that's what started all this, then I'm truly sorry." It might not change how she felt about Colt now, but it did make her feel guilty. She could feel the weight of it pressing down on her, and she did her best not to give in to it, not to shrink from the rancher as though she'd done something terribly wrong.

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to die

Sohalia

COLT

I wish words were like little toy guns
No sting, no hurting no one
Just a bang, bang rolling off your tongue

Without meaning to, Colt has braced herself for the skulking retreat of someone who would paint refusal as civility. It is often the case for those who have been found out and are accustomed to a notion of higher standards, despite their own morals long ago being hollowed out. Instead, she's pleasantly surprised that the Luminary stands her ground, holding as firm as any filly resisting her first halter and rope. Better the stubborn lean of one unwilling to be led than the slippery flash of an eel in the murk.

Colt nods along to the fact that Soh and Flora spoke, because that conversation on its own is not something she begrudges in the slightest. It's the alleged contents of what was said that have proven caustic. Even the notions of the challenging offer Colt accepts without blinking, because despite the gleam of doubt that she could lift off that phrasing from Soh, Colt will be one of the first to admit it's a longshot. She just happens to believe in her aim and the power in her bow. All the while, she hums and generally demonstrates understanding as the explanation unfurls.

Her expression of forced pleasantness doesn't hide her genuine curiosity, much as she'd prefer to appear indifferent enough that none of this can truly matter, that she is untouchable. Unfortunately, Colt's face sits differently from her tongue, and all but the edges of the brightness she's forcing on taper away into a tight line of her lips. It begins when Soh says she didn't think she wanted to move to Hak Etme, but it really takes the lead for her appearance when Soh says, yes, she did tell Flora that Colt was poaching her.

It hits her like a kick to the chest. Everything curls in on itself and tightens, bearing down like armor could be made from nothing more than the curvature of will and body. It's an audible thing, the last bit of her breath being stolen, the click of her teeth just setting faintly together behind the dismayed arch of her mouth. Her gaze glitters flinty, and it's a caution that not much should dare strike her now and be surprised that a spark is delivered.

The caution that Soh could be lying dissolves rapidly. With no truth ring to burn her fingers or serum of honesty snuck down Soh's gullet, the risk is certainly a possibility still, yet it seems unlikely to lie by owning up to the exact shape of the ugliness that her words had borne. Secretly, even to herself, Colt had been hoping for a different kind of truth, to discover something more complex than pure betrayal, or more unique than carelessness.

"I see," Colt says at last, when Soh has said her peace and the weight of it has settled in Colt's gut, rancid and slick. She steps neatly past the apology, her tone thin and dry as grass at the end of Longheat, and just as flammable. "You thought," she starts, volume low. "Poaching, was a good word to use? To describe the fact I offered you a position in a known hellhole, with zero pressure or expectation, just because I saw the merits of your past experience and potential?" One of Colt's brows ticks up, her head tipping a touch to the side, like maybe skewing the world would help her make heads or tails of this. "If you didn't mean to use such a vile word in the presence of Caido's strongest queen, especially on the heels of saying you didn't want to go. I'm just curious, what the hell did you mean to say?" Because from where Colt's standing, this doesn't seem like the easy blunder of someone with diplomatic experience. This seems like Soh didn't mind bitching about Colt behind her back to someone who could actually do something about it.

No smoke, no bullets
No kick from the trigger when you pull it
No pain, no damage done

Zavien

Having very much become a bystander to this conversation, Zavien kept his mouth sealed tightly shut. At first, he struggled, wanting to jump to Soh's defense, to explain why Colt's worries had been unwarranted to begin with; however, it became easier the more words were said. It felt like tensions were easing, like the silt that had muddied the waters might begin to settle. Even his breaths felt less strained, hope for reconciliation feeling just within reach. 

Until the ground he thought was solid and sure beneath his own argument suddenly felt loose and uncertain. Whereas he'd thought the 'poaching' term had come for Flora, he quickly learned that Soh had been the first to say it. Shocked radiated down his spine. Zavien did his best to keep his expression schooled, but he'd never been much of a liar or gambler. His emotions showed through like a knock-off privacy screen, the surprise dimmed only barely as he glanced towards his girlfriend. He couldn't even imagine what would have motivated her to use such a word unless it was a joke, in which case, he silently prayed she made that extremely clear to the rancher. 

Although he didn't agree with the word used - and he definitely didn't understand - he still trusted her, trusted in the woman he knew, in the goodness of her heart. Sure that she had a valid reason on the tip of her tongue, Zavien still stood by her side, poised to intervene if the righteous embers of Colt's eyes threatened to reach beyond herself.

It's a beautiful day.
Don't let it get away.

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to say goodbye

Heat started in Soh's cheeks, and she did her best to ignore the flaming red she was sure was displayed there for all to see. Mortification, shame, and confusion continued to swirl in the back of her mind as she replayed her words over and over again, trying to understanding how and why one throwaway line to lead Flora into the conversation - one line that her best friend had never mentioned her again during that conversation - had led to this moment, to the look of betrayal, to the caustic wound that had festered between she and Colt.

The worst part of it was that Zavien was there to witness her supreme misjudgment. She wasn't even sure what had possessed her to say it in the first place, but it certainly had never been meant the way that it had been taken - although how, exactly, it had been interpreted by Flora was still a point of contention for the Luminary. Not that that was a conversation she was going to have with Colt, not when everything in her yearned to protect Flora from further involvement in what was apparently Soh's own mistake.

Suddenly exhausted and sick to her stomach, Soh nonetheless stood her ground, though anyone who knew her well would notice the faint intake of breath, the slightest sway as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other - subtle tells that would clue Zavien, at least, in to how poorly this conversation was affecting Soh. Genuine dismay shone in her silver eyes, pain at having miscalculated so poorly, at having thought her conversation with Flora would remain private, at having her own words, which had never been meant to mean anything at all, thrown back in her face despite the fact that they'd never been intended for an audience outside her best friend.

Betrayal cut deeper than Colt's venom. What had Flora been thinking? How had this happened?

"I'm sorry," she said again, doing her best to level her tone into something politely distant, only succeeding partially as her voice grew thicker with emotion. Tears pricked behind her eyes, but she swallowed hard to force them away. She would not appear weak in front of this woman, not when doing so would probably only provoke further wrath and disgust. "It wasn't supposed to mean anything at all, it was just -" Not quite a joke, but not quite serious, and certainly not something that she could explain away. "- It was clearly a mistake." And that was all she could offer, all she could say. "It wasn't meant to be taken seriously, Colt. Truly. I was just talking to my friend. I wasn't talking to Flora as queen. It wasn't supposed to be something that started any kind of diplomatic incident."

Everyone wants to see heaven
But no one wants to die

Sohalia

COLT

I wish words were like little toy guns
No sting, no hurting no one
Just a bang, bang rolling off your tongue

Colt does not know Sohalia well, as is plain, but she does note the subtle shifts in posture and patience that appear. Small things she attributes to the unkind ways truth likes to prickle, whether it's being dragged up or choked down. There's no sympathy on Colt's behalf for Sohalia's discomfort; bearing the weight of your own choices can often be uncomfortable. You can either throw your head up into the bit, fighting reins clutched in your own hand, or ride out the passenger of decisions until some part of it shifts its seat. Sohalia is not alone in this burden. Colt's got her own saddle cinched up against her ribs, pressing out all her breath that should be easy.

"Yes," Colt says with all the impassive attention afforded any other run-of-the-mill stock in a pen. She thought there'd been something special to Soh, but even urine shines like gold in the right light. "It was." A mistake, for deeming the Luminary to be anything bright. How bastardizing hope can be.

Colt sighs, head dropping a touch and shaking faintly as the conversation veers into something pointless. Intention is just the thoughts and prayers of damage done. "I've misjudged you, it seems," she offers with the low volume that comes when disappointment fully settles. "I'd have expected someone with your experience to know the importance of words. And an audience." Colt's gaze lifts back to Sohalia's face, briefly tracing the staunched anguish folded in on the edges of her expression. It's supposed to read as regret, but it appears to her more like someone who's been caught talking out of turn. "It's because you talked to her as a friend, and me as a queen, that we're here. There's a lot I'd do for my friends."

Swinging her leg back upright beneath her, Colt's hands slide from her jean pockets and into her jacket ones, already starting to angle away with departure. If there's any hope of repairing this, it ain't tonight, not when it's so fresh. Although scrubbing out the wound like this is always a good first step towards something healing. "I take it this is your resignation from the offer too?" she tosses out at Zavien, because it's clear the care he's demonstrating, silence its own method of support.

No smoke, no bullets
No kick from the trigger when you pull it
No pain, no damage done

Zavien

He tried not to grimace at Soh's words. He already knew they wouldn't land well. She wasn't denying them or giving any real context as to why the word hadn't been how she truly felt about the offer. It wasn't her best moment, and although his faith in her didn't waiver, he couldn't help the disappointment to know this wouldn't be an easy miscommunication to dismiss. 

There was fault to be had by both, and Zavien couldn't say he blamed Colt for the distance she began to build. Her own belief in Soh had been broken when she'd spoken more openly to Flora than the rancher. Repairing that trust wasn't something that could be done tonight, and he didn't delude himself into thinking it would heal with a few apologies - no matter how sincere.

It was no surprise when Colt turned her attentions back to him, although it was hard to pull himself back from the status of bystander. Zavien let out a deep sigh, his head falling slightly as it shook back and forth. "Words and politics have never been my strong suit," he admitted. It had been enough of a compliment for the woman to ask him to be on her council, but he'd always suspected he wouldn't be much of an asset after seeing how he'd navigated his own leadership. Maybe it was that kind gesture or Soh's admission or remembering the kinship they'd been forming recently that dampened his anger, the exhaustion returning to his frame as he met Colt's gaze. 

Sincere disappointment pulled at his expression, honesty shining through when he said, "I don't think Soh meant harm or insult with her words, and I think you have a right to be hurting." His eyes narrow when he added, "Even if I think a dagger was a dangerous overreaction."

The frustration softened again, a sadness entering his eyes as he looked between the two women, wishing this conversation could have turned out differently, that they might have resolved their differences and healed the wound. Maybe one day they would, but that day wasn't today, and Zavien shook his head again. "Maybe some distance would be best for now." And given his relationship with Soh and how much he cared for her, he would continue to stand by her rather than continue helping Colt.

That didn't mean he would let animosity or hatred from where there was only pain and hurt. His gaze was steady, sincere and lighter with a sense of hope when it landed on the rancher. "But I do wish you luck, Colt."

It's a beautiful day.
Don't let it get away.